Youth Sports Experience Philosophy

The objective of youth sports is three-fold:

1. Provide fun and enjoyment2. Provide for the development of athletic skills and life skills3. Provide a healthy exposure to competition and the pursuit of victory over one's self, environment or opponent

The youth sport experience is most effective in meeting its true objectives when coaches, parents, and administrators create the most positive learning environment possible for today's youth.

The Growing Champions for Life® resources and Chump to Champ® materials provide strategies, tools, and guidance for creating that environment and thereby improving the experience as well as athletic performance. It is a long-term view that benefits entire families by growing people, not just athletes. Sport is the laboratory for that journey.

Children want to know what/who is most important in the family and in life.

The opinion that matters most to your children is what they think you think of them.

Children are desperately looking for heroes, both at home and elsewhere.

Children are a work-in-progress, not just short adults.

Sports exist for three reasons:

to have fun

to learn sport and life lessons

to experience competition

Effective coaching includes education and inspiration, but not degradation.

The heart of influence is more effective than the hand of control.

Based upon the level of motivation, learning is an option chosen by the student.

Coaching is hard work and the results are not always immediate.

Young athletes are desperately looking for credible heroes to admire.

You are responsible for your choices.

Make your choices based on your guiding principles, not your needs.

You are as good today as you have decided to be.

You are on a journey that is full of lessons. You can't go on to the next lesson until completing the current one.

When you don't feel like doing the hard work, do it anyway.

From Chump to Champ – How Individuals go from Good to Great

Join David Benzel on one of the most significant and meaningful endeavors you will every take. It is a journey that must start on the individual level, and requires persistence and direction every step of the way.